Umpire Assistant

ABSTRACT

A base safety assistant and home plate template are disclosed. The base safety assistant and home plate template are to be used in connection with slow pitch softball. The base safety assistant is used in conjunction with first base and home plate. It will sound an audible alarm and lights will flash when a runner steps on it. This will allow the umpire to make better calls of safe or out on a close play. The home plate template assists the umpire with balls and strike calls. When a thrown pitch hits the template, it will sound an audible alarm and light up.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The present invention is directed to the field of slow pitch softball. In particular, the present invention is directed to a device that can be used in connection with the bases and the home plate in order to help the umpire make proper calls. The device, used in connection with the bases, allows the umpire to make the proper call of safe or out on a close throw to the base. The device, used in connection with the home plate, assists the umpire with the proper call of balls and strikes.

The present invention has three separate functions which will make the game safer for the players and umpires. First, there will be a home plate assistant which will identify balls and strikes for the umpire. Next, there will be two base assistants, one for home plate and one for first base. The base assistant will identify the exact time when a runner steps on the safety (double base) base thus allowing the umpire to compare the time of the catch to the audible signal/visual light that will emit when the runner steps on the safety base.

In men's senior softball leagues and woman's leagues presently there is a plywood template used around home plate to determine balls and strikes. The catcher actually stands back from the plate and catches the pitched pall on a bounce off of the template. If the high arc pitch hits the template or home plate it is a strike and if not it is a ball. Under this system, the umpire is required to be behind the plate to see if the ball hits the template or not. The present invention will imbed sensors in the template. The sensors will both emit an audible sound and light up when the ball hits the template thereby allowing the umpire to stand anywhere on the field and make the call of a ball or strike.

The home plate assistant consists of a flat surface which overlays home plate and the strike mat area. When the high arc pitched softball strikes either the plate or the strike mat a signal/light of ball or strike will generate. This will allow the umpire to come out from behind the plate and position him/herself in the field of play. This will give the umpire the opportunity to make more accurate calls over the entire field, particularly when there is only one umpire for the game. In addition, because the umpire will be in closer proximity to all plays in general, the accuracy of the calls will be increased. This system will also make it safer for umpires because they will not have to be behind the plate where there is the potential to be involved in a collision, or get hit by a foul tip, errant throw or thrown bat.

In men's senior softball leagues and woman's leagues today a double base system is currently used at first base and home plate to avoid injuries to the players. For first base, the double base is 2 bases placed side by side. One base is located on the base line in fair territory and the other directly next to it in foul territory. This allows the fielder to use the base located on the line to make plays and the runner to use the base in foul territory. For home plate there is a primary home plate located where it would traditionally be placed. The safety base is then placed 8 feet behind the primary plate on an imaginary line from the right field foul line. This system was designed to avoid collisions and spiking at the base and the plate. The present invention uses the two base system and incorporates sensors which are imbedded into the base located in foul territory to sense when the runner has stepped on the base. When the runner steps on the base it will light up and emit an audible sound to let the umpire know that someone has stepped on the base. This will allow the umpire to determine if the runner stepped on the base before or after.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A device to assist an umpire in making calls in a softball game comprised of a bottom enclosure; top enclosure; balance springs mounted between the top enclosure and bottom enclosure that reversibly deflect from a first position to a second position in response to a mechanical input; a plurality of sensors each comprising sensor arms that respond to movement of the balance springs from the first position to the second position; a control device electrically connected to the plurality of sensors; visual or verbal alarms electrically connected to the control device that become operable when the balance springs move from the first position to the second position; wherein when the balance springs move from the first position to the second position the sensor arms move and cause the springs to send an electrical signal to the control device which causes the visual or verbal alarms to thereby become operable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the present invention in use.

FIG. 3 is a partial cut-away view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a sensor used in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an alternate side view of a sensor used in the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a top view of inside of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an inside bottom view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention will now be described in terms of the presently preferred embodiments thereof as shown in the appended drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many obvious modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

FIGS. 1-9 illustrate the base safety assistant 10 intended to be placed in foul territory next to first base or behind home plate. FIG. 11 illustrates the home plate assistant 100 of the present invention. Both embodiments utilize the same internal parts to sense a mechanical input on their respective top surfaces while the external shape and dimensions are different.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of flash LED's 12 are incorporated into a side of the base safety assistant 10. The flash LED's 12 will light up when the mechanical input constitutes a runner stepping on the top of the base assistant 10 as shown in FIG. 2. The corresponding flash LED's 12 on the home plate assistant will light up when the mechanical input is a pitched ball hitting the home plate assistant 100.

FIG. 3 illustrates a partial cut-away view of the base safety assistant 10. The base safety assistant 10 comprises a base bottom 14 and base cover 16. The base bottom 14 comprises an enclosure for various items as described below. The base cover 16 fits over the base bottom 14. There are also a plurality of balance springs 19 between the base bottom 14 and the base cover 16.

The flash LED's 12 are installed in the side of the base bottom 14. The flash LED's 12 are electrically connected to a control device 18. A plurality of sensors 20 are installed in the base bottom 14 and are also electrically connected to the control device 18. The sensors 20 are illustrated in FIGS. 4 & 5. Each of the sensors 20 comprises an arm 22. The arm 22 is shown in the up position in FIG. 4. When a runner steps on the base safety assistant 10, the balance springs 19 will deflect downward which will cause the arm 22 to move to the down position as shown in FIG. 5. At that point, an electrical signal will be sent from the sensors 20 to the control device 18. In turn, the control device 18 will send an electrical signal to the flash LED's 12 thereby causing the flash LED's 12 to light up. The base assistant can also comprise a horn 24 which can also be activated when a runner steps on the base at the same time as the flash LED's 12 are activated. After the runner steps off the base assistant, the balance springs 19 return to the normal position and the light/horn will cease operation.

The home plate assistant 100 is shown in FIG. 11. This embodiment contains the same internal components as described above for the base assistant 10. However, as noted above, this embodiment is directed to assisting the umpire with balls and strike calls. Consequently, in this embodiment, the flash LED's 12 and/or horn 24 will be activated when a pitch falls on the top surface of the home plate assistant 100.

Those of ordinary skill will recognize that the foregoing is merely a description of an embodiment of the present invention as set forth in the Claims. Many obvious modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as set forth in the Claims. 

What is claimed is: 1) A device to assist an umpire in making calls in a softball game comprising: a) a bottom enclosure; b) a top enclosure; c) balance springs mounted between the top enclosure and bottom enclosure that reversibly deflect from a first position to a second position in response to a mechanical input; d) a plurality of sensors each comprising sensor arms that respond to movement of the balance springs from the first position to the second position; e) a control device electrically connected to the plurality of sensors; and f) visual or verbal alarms electrically connected to the control device that become operable when the balance springs move from the first position to the second position; g) wherein when the balance springs move from the first position to the second position the sensor arms move and cause the sensors to send an electrical signal to the control device which causes the visual or verbal alarms to thereby become operable. 2) The device of claim 1 wherein the mechanical input is a base runner stepping on the device. 3) The device of claim 1 wherein the mechanical input is a pitched ball landing on the top of the device. 